


Blindness

by totallyrhettro



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alcohol, Awkwardness, Beer, Blindness, Break Up, Desire, Dreams, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Food, Friends to Lovers, Gay Sex, Good Mythical Morning - Freeform, Gross Food Eating, Happy Ending, Happy endings guaranteed, Kissing, M/M, Masturbation, Masturbation in Shower, Medical, Medical Mystery, Mistaken Identity, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Nudity, Roommates, Secret Crush, Surprise Kissing, Touching, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-17 07:30:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16970379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyrhettro/pseuds/totallyrhettro
Summary: When Rhett goes blind temporarily, Link finds his own eyes suddenly opened.This was my first serial fic, updated a bit for this posting. I feel like I've become a better writer since creating this work, but I love it still. I love the imagery and I want to share it with you, as it was written (save for some errors and extra superlatives) so you can enjoy it, too. Thanks for reading!





	1. Onset

"What are the strangest delicacies around the world?"

"Let's talk about that."

It all started with a normal Good Mythical Morning. The GMM crew had been instructed to gather a small collection of edible oddities from various countries and Rhett and Link were supposed to gue

"What are the strangest delicacies around the world?"

"Let's talk about that."

It all started with a normal Good Mythical Morning. The GMM crew had been instructed to gather a small collection of edible oddities from various countries and Rhett and Link were supposed to guess what they were. They had done several of these 'taste tests' before and Link was not excited in the least for this one. As he placed the green and glasses-decorated face mask over his eyes, his hands trembled slightly. He folded them together, hoping the mythical audience, as well as the crew, wouldn't notice. Rhett, on the other hand, was his usual cheerful self and seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of eating new foods, even though they were most likely going to be very disgusting.

Soon after they were both blind-folded, the crew brought in the various plates of food for the hosts to try. The smell alone made Link suddenly queasy, but he put on a brave face for the fans. He was glad his spit bucket was close at hand.

"Alright," Rhett started, once everything was in place. "Let's have the first delicacy." The first dish turned out to be escamoles: the larvae of ants found on tequila plants. Eddie and Stevie gave samples to each host (on the patented pizza plank, of course) for them to try.

"Feels kinda like beans covered in butter, but I don't think that's it." Link commented. "Don't tell me what it is 'til I swallow."

"Not bad." Rhett said, clicking his tongue. "Is it ...? Do we guess together?"

"You can go first, that's fine."

"I think it's some kind of cheese. Tastes cheesy."

"Okay. I'm going to say it's... Oh gosh. Snails? Escargot?" They both glanced towards where Stevie was standing, even though they couldn't see her.

"Nope it's escamoles: ant larvae." Stevie informed them.

"Not the first time we've eaten bugs on this show." Rhett chuckled.

As the show progressed the crew continued to feed them foods, varying from calamari to fried tarantula, and soon there was only one dish left. Eddie and Stevie proceeded to feed Rhett and Link a small portion of the mystery meal. Rhett gave a happy 'Mmm' while Link had a less pleasant reaction. Moments after giving it a few chews he picked up his spit bucket and leaned over it.

"Ugh, it's rubbery." He groaned.

"Don't give up now, Link. You've made it this far without heaving. You can do this." Rhett patted his friend on the shoulder, perhaps too hard, and the brunet couldn't take it. He gave a huge heave and spit up the unknown substance.

"I'm sorry but I think my stomach has had enough for today."

"It's not that bad. Kinda bacon-y, like raw bacon. Imma' say pork of some kind. Defiantly meat."

"I don't know, man. Some kind of meat." Link spat into the trash bin and tried not to full on puke.

"It is Salo." Stevie explained. "Raw pork fat."

"Yeah!" Rhett exclaimed, pulling off the blindfold. "Three to one, Link. I win." He gave his obligatory victory dance while Link rinsed out his mouth. The rest of the episode went smoothly; the mythical wheel ending was freeze-frame, again, and Good Mythical More couldn't have ended soon enough for Link's taste. As soon as the camera was off he rushed to the bathroom to finish emptying his stomach. Rhett chuckled but stood outside the bathroom door to make sure his friend was okay.

"So, should we order pizza for lunch or...?"

"Shut up Rhett."

The next few days went as per usual and the weird delicacies were soon all but forgotten. Everything was normal until Friday morning when Link pulled up to Rhett's house to pick him up for work. His normally exuberant friend seemed to be moving a bit slower than usual. He slumped into the car, his eyes half open with heavy bags beneath them. He nodded in greeting.

"Mornin' Rhett," Link said, putting his car into drive. "You look awful. You feel alright?"

"Yeah." Rhett's voice was rough and a full octave lower than usual. "Woke up with a bit of a head cold this morning. I took some DayQuil. I'll be alright." It wasn't the first time he had gone to work sick. Still it worried Link to see his friend this way. If he thought that suggesting that Rhett stay home for the day to rest up would cause his friend to do so, he would have. But he knew better.

"Alright. Just take it easy, okay?"

The recording for Monday's episode went fairly smoothly. Rhett was true to his word about getting through the recording and even managed to show some spunk in Good Mythical More. Afterwards the crew went about editing the newly recorded episode. Link was going to ask his co-host what he wanted to eat for lunch but Rhett had flopped down on the set couch and looked dead to the world. He looked so peaceful; his tall blond hair slightly damp from the sweat of his brow. Link leaned against the door watching the slow rise and fall of his friend's chest for a long time. He let his eyes move slowly along the contours of the sleeping face. He'd seen this face age for thirty years and it had changed much in all that time. Yet Link could still see that small, gawky boy he met so long ago in first grade. Here was, and always would be, his dearest friend.

Link let his friend sleep long into the evening as he worked around the office. It was strange working in near silence without Rhett's talking. The silence made the hours tick by and it seemed like ages before it was time to go. The crew had already left by the time Link went to wake him. He took one last moment to stare at that sleeping face before gently shaking the man awake.

"Wake up, time to go." Rhett's green eyes blinked open and looked around the room, unfocused, before meeting Link's own.

"What time is it?" He asked, slightly groggy. He sat up and scratched his beard.

"You slept all day, sunshine. Crew's already left. Come on."

"Why'd you let me just sleep?"

"I thought it'd be nice to get some work done for a change." Link smirked. Rhett rolled his eyes, then winced.

"Damn my head is killing me. Let me grab some aspirin before we go."

On the car ride home they spoke little. Link tried occasionally to start a conversation but quickly gave up after hearing Rhett give short, one-word answers. He kept rubbing his eyes in pain, his head clearly still hurting. When they got to his house, he opened the car door to get out when Link put his hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I know you have plans for this weekend but I want you to stay home and rest up. Gotta make sure you're ready to work on Monday."

"Yes, MOM." Rhett answered sarcastically, climbing out if the car, but after shutting the door he leaned over through the open window and gave a sincere smile. "See you next week, buddy."

~ ~ ~

It was early Monday morning, before Link had even gotten out of bed that he received a phone call. It was Rhett.

"Link! Oh Link..." His voice was shaky and full of distress. Link was instantly awake.

"Rhett, what's wrong?" He glanced at the clock. It was just after dawn. "Are you okay?" There was a long pause.

"Link," he said again. "Link I... I can't see." Now it was Link's turn to pause. He sat up slowly, rolling his friends words around in his head.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"I don't know. I just... My alarm went off, I woke up and I can't see. My eyes hurt. Link... I'm scared."

"Okay buddy, hold on. I'm on my way." Link threw off the covers and was about to hang up when he heard a short sob.

"Don't hang up." Rhett begged. "Please."

"I won't, I promise. I'm right here buddy. I'm right here." Link stayed on the phone as he awkwardly got dressed with one hand. He didn't bother shaving or eating breakfast. His friend needed him. Now. When he got in the car he switched his phone to speaker. He tried to sound calm, telling Rhett everything was going to be fine, but he couldn't help feeling scared himself. He had no idea what had happened and not knowing was eating away at him. He could only imagine how his friend was feeling.

~ ~ ~

When he got to Rhett's house he picked his phone back up and got out of the car.

"I'm right outside," he said, heading up to the front door. He tested the handle. Locked. "Can you let me in? Can you get to the door?"

"I can try." After a few agonizing minutes, Link heard the deadbolt click and the door opened an inch. He pushed open the door to find Rhett, still in his boxers, standing before him, a cell phone in his hand, and looking absolutely terrified. His eyes were closed.

"I'm here Rhett." He put his phone away and reached up to grab his friend's arm. It was covered in goosebumps. "What happened?" Rhett shook his head.

"I can't see Link. Everything is completely black."

"Can you open your eyes?" Rhett nodded and did just that. Link looked up into familiar eyes. They looked normal. There was no sign that there was anything wrong with them at all.

"They hurt." He said, closing his eyelids. Link nodded, mostly to himself.

"Okay, um, let's get you dressed and I'll drive you to the hospital, alright?" He took his friend's cell phone and guided him back to his bedroom. It was just up the stairs. Rhett must have somehow felt his way down and to the front door to open it. He was able to dress himself without too much help from Link who mostly just handed him his clothes. Link could tell Rhett was trying real hard not to cry and he didn't blame him. He wasn't sure what he would do if he had woken up blind. Probably call Rhett.

Once his friend was dressed, Link guided him to the car. He could feel the tall man tremble and it was disconcerting. It had been a long time since he'd seen this man so scared. He wanted to comfort him, maybe offer a simple explanation for what was going on, but his mind was drawing a blank. Eyes don't stop working for no reason. What could have possibly have happened?


	2. Diagnosis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not a doctor, so if I mess up the specifics about the medical stuff, I’m sorry. I researched as best as I could.   
> Also, yes: Rhett is dating Jessie in this universe. Dating, not married, and Link is single. You'll understand. Keep reading!!

At the hospital, while Rhett was being examined by a doctor, Link sat in the waiting room with his phone in his hand. He tried browsing Facebook or Youtube comments but found he couldn’t focus on the little screen. His mind kept bringing back images of his friend’s face, terrified and vulnerable. Rhett was always the braver of the two and it was unnerving to see him truly frightened.

As the minutes and then hours slowly ticked by, Link felt reality slipping away. This had to be a nightmare, this couldn’t possibly be real. People didn't just go blind, that just didn’t happen! Then he found his thoughts turn to what this could mean for the future. What if Rhett was blind permanently? What would that mean for their lives? The show would go on, no doubt, but their lives would never be the same again.

‘ _We’ll get through it,_ ’ Link thought to himself. He would never leave his friend, never give up on him. He would help him through this, no matter what.

It wasn’t until early afternoon that Rhett finally reappeared, a doctor on his arm. His eyes were still closed, but now he had a white bandage over one eye. It made him look that his character from their vacation music video. His left arm also had a cotton ball taped on the inside of his elbow from where he had blood drawn.

“Charles Neal?” The doctor asked, loudly. Link stood and approached him.

“That’s me, I’m Charles Neal.” He shook the doctor's hand.

“Hello Mr. Neal, I’m Doctor Wilkins. I’m sorry we kept you waiting so long. We had to run a number of tests to confirm the diagnosis.”

“What…” Link paused to swallow. “Do you know what’s wrong with his eyes?”

“A lot of big words,” Rhett said, softly, trying to sound cheerful. The doctor smiled.

“It turns out that raw pork you two consumed earlier in the week was contaminated and Mr. McLaughlin contracted toxoplasmosis: a parasitic disease that is actually fairly common. Normally adults with toxoplasmosis don’t suffer from anything worse than flu-like symptoms as the body’s immune system takes care of the problem by itself. Unfortunately, the toxoplasma gondii parasites that had caused the infection in his brain spread to his optic nerves, inflaming them, and thus causing the blindness.” Link looked at his friend but his expression was unreadable.

“So, what’s going to happen?” he asked.

“Well we put him on some antibacterial medication for the toxoplasmosis and some pain medication for the soreness but I’m afraid the best cure is going to be time. The parasite is not very virulent and Mr. McLaughlin’s immune system will take care of the infection itself, with help from the medication, and he should regain the use of his eyes in a week or two.”

“Weeks?” Link felt both both relieved that this condition wasn’t permanent and scared of how Rhett was supposed to deal without sight for so long.

“I’m afraid so Mr. Neal.”

“It’ll be okay, Link,” Rhett chimed in. “I can handle it.” Link wasn’t so sure but he smiled anyway. He shook the doctor’s hand again and thanked him for all his help. At least they now knew what was wrong and it was going to be taken care of. Now all Link had to do was take care of his friend.

~ ~ ~

The mood on the car ride back to Rhett’s place was fairly light, considering. Both men felt marketably more optimistic now that the source of Rhett’s condition had been explained. It was so good to know that they need only wait for the man’s eyesight to return. Feeling the change in atmosphere, Link tried to strike up a conversation.

“So, what’s with the pirate eye?” he wondered. Rhett gave a small chuckle as he absentmindedly touched the white bandage.

“The docs stuck a needle in there to take a sample of eye fluid for testing.”

“Oh gosh!” Link made a horrified expression and was very glad he had not witnessed that. “Do you have a giant hole in your eye now?”

“No they used a tiny needle. They said I could take off the patch tomorrow. It’s just to keep it from getting infected. Ironic, isn’t it?”

“Does it hurt?”

“Nah, the meds they got me on are pretty strong. I feel great. I wonder if they can give me some extra for the next time Jessie takes me shopping.” Link chuckled along with him, glad his friend was feeling good enough to crack jokes.

“You should call her, you know. I mean if you and Jessie are serious she deserves to know about…”

“Yea, I know.” Rhett interrupted. He rubbed his hair absentmindedly. “I just want to wait a bit. Just… I don’t know.” He shrugged and turned his head towards the window. Link wasn’t sure why his friend would be so hesitant but he didn’t want to press the issue so he changed the subject.

“How did you call me this morning anyway? If you can’t see nothing…?”

“Siri. I know you aren’t as iPhone savvy as me but you do know you can ask her to call people right? I just pushed the button and said, 'call Link’. I don’t know what I would have done without that. Probably waited for you to show up, I guess.”

~ ~ ~

They talked all the way back to the house and only when the car pulled into the driveway did they fall silent. Link moved his hand to turn the car off and paused, unsure if he should ask permission to stay or not. As if reading his mind, Rhett reached over and found Link's shoulder.

“Can you come in with me? I don’t want to fall down on my way back in.”

“Sure, buddy.” Link turned off the engine and got out of the car. As he walked around to the other side to help his friend out, Rhett had already gotten out by himself and was holding out his hand. The shorter man took it gingerly and together they walked up the walkway and through the front door. Inside, Link guided Rhett to the couch where he sat down with a sigh.

“It’s gonna to be an interesting few weeks if I can’t even get from my house to the car and back every day. I mean, somethings I can do with my eyes closed but…”

“I know what you mean.” Link sat down next to him. “You’re gonna need a lot of help. I ain’t gonna do your hair though.” Rhett ran his fingers through his normally perfectly sculpted blond hair; it was still disheveled from sleeping on it the night before.

“Guess my hair will be down for awhile. I hope the fans don’t complain too much.”

“You think you can still do the show?” Link looked his friend over. The man didn’t look sick, aside from the bandage, and that could be taken off fairly soon.

“Sure, why not? We’ll have to make the next episodes without me moving around much though. Maybe you can quiz on some things or we can do some more blindfolded guessing games. I won’t even need a blindfold!” He laughed as he pointed to his face.

“No more food taste tests though.” Link added, somberly.

“Yeah, right. You don’t have to convince me. Hey, maybe we can do another smeeling episode, that one was very popular.” Link had to chuckle at that.

“I’d be glad to be your arms again, Rhett.” There was a slight pause as they both thought about his choice of words. Rhett rubbed the top of his legs, thoughtfully, before turning to his friend, eye still closed.

“I might need you to be my arms a lot for awhile. Do… do you think you could help me out?”

“Of course.” Link put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and rubbed it slowly. “Whatever you need.”

“It wouldn’t be a lot. I’m blind, not an invalid. I just need you to make sure I don’t burn myself on the stove or something.”

“Just as long as you don’t ask me to help you shower.” Link made a face. “That would just be weird.”

“I think can do that myself,” Rhett laughed.


	3. Roommates

They decided that it would be easiest if Link actually stayed at Rhett's place so he could help his blind friend around the house. Link was perfectly happy to do it. He didn't like the idea of leaving his friend alone in his current condition. In fact, he felt a bit of trepidation at leaving to go back to his own house to pack for the upcoming week. As he packed he called Stevie and told her about the situation. He made sure she knew that the show schedule would only be slightly affected and he and Rhett would be at work tomorrow, on time, as per usual. Stevie was very supportive and told him she would inform the crew; he needn't worry about a thing. Knowing that things were going to be dealt with as if everything was normal was another burden off of Link's shoulders.

Once he had finished grabbing everything he thought he needed from home, he got in the car and started driving towards Rhett's house. Suddenly his stomach growled at him and he remembered that in all the fuss of the day, he hadn't eaten anything. He wondered what the two of them should have for dinner and it struck him that Rhett couldn't prepare anything for himself to eat. Link didn't cook. He only knew how to make cereal and while he was perfectly happy eating that day in and day out, he figured he should find something that he could actually make for his friend. He made a turn and headed for the grocery store.

When Link got back to Rhett's house, grocery bags filled with various microwaveable meals and easy-to-cook canned foods in his arms, Rhett was just making his way out of the downstairs bathroom.

"How did it go in there?" Link couldn't help but ask as he set down the bags in the kitchen. Rhett slowly felt his way along the wall towards him.

"Not too bad. I can find everything okay but, uh, I had to sit down to pee. That was weird." He frowned. Link held back a laugh and was glad his friend couldn't see his huge grin just then.

"I'm glad you worked it out okay. I was worried I'd have to help you in that department." He unloaded the groceries as they spoke. "Sorry I took so long. I figured you using the stove would be a bad idea so I went to the store and picked up some simple stuff I could make for you."

"No worries. I called my folks while you were gone. They were concerned to say the least, but they felt better when I told them it was temporary. What did you get from the store?"

"Got some canned ravioli, spaghetti-os, some soup..."

"Sounds good. Hopefully you won't burn my house down cooking those."

"Well, we can use the microwave instead. I got microwaveable chili, macaroni and cheese, some other stuff. If all else fails, I can always make you a bowl of cereal."

"Thanks, Link. I really appreciate this, you know." Rhett stepped forward, hesitantly, reaching for his friend. Link met him halfway and they embraced in a heartfelt hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't worry about it, brother. I'm sure you'd do the same for me." As they pulled apart Link readjusted his glasses that had become eschew and patted his friend on the shoulder. "You hungry?" Rhett nodded.

They talked about what kind of episodes they could make this week with one host devoid of sight as Link heated up some canned ravioli on the stove. The agenda for tomorrow's episode was obvious: they had to inform their fans of what had caused Rhett to lose his sight and assure them that he was going to be just fine. As for the rest of the week, most of the episodes they had already planned would go alright, unhindered by Rhett's temporary disability, but they decided to move the 'Duck Hunt in Real Life' episode to a later date.

"We can do another quiz episode instead," Link suggested, dishing up a bowl for him and his friend, "I can make up a list of some kind and you can guess. No eyes needed for that."

"Sounds good, but let's talk about it later. I'm famished."

They ate in silence, Rhett downing the meal like a starving wolf. As he waited for his friend to finish his food, the blind man made his slow and careful way to the living room and sat on the couch. He ran his hands over the coffee table until he felt them touch the remote control and picked it up.

"I can't watch anything, but can you help me find something you can watch and I can listen to? It's still early and I really need something to take my mind off..." He paused, touching the bandage in his eye. "Something to pass the time."

"Sure." Link finished the rest of his food then set the dishes in the sink to deal with later. He sat down and took the remote from Rhett. As he scanned over the various movies and television shows available on Netflix, he couldn't help but glance over at the tall man beside him over and over. He took the opportunity that his friend's blindness gave him to really look at that bearded face without having to be sneaky about it. He looked much better now, despite a quarter of his face being covered. Maybe it was the drugs he was on but he looked far more relaxed then he had just that morning. His hair was still unkempt and he defiantly needed a shower but Link didn't mind. He was happy to be here, helping his friend.

"See anything good?" Rhett suddenly asked. Link hadn't noticed he was staring and the familiar bloop of the Netflix menu had not been heard for sometime. He snapped his attention back to the television and tried not to sound flustered as he gazed at the screen.

"Uh, I was just reading." He quickly picked something and started it playing. "I hope 'The Avengers' is okay."

"Sounds good to me." Rhett smiled, slouching down and his friend settled in across from him. They watched (well, Link watched and Rhett listened) in silence for a long time before Link started hearing soft snoring coming from the other end of the couch. It was earlier than the two men usually went to bed but it had been a long and trying day for both of them. Link turned off the movie and got up quietly. He thought about adjusting Rhett's position for him so that he was lying down more comfortably, but he knew his friend's back would hate him for it in the morning.

"Wake up," he said, shaking the sleeping man gently. "Let's get you to a bed." Rhett moaned in his sleep and waved his hand dismissively.

"I don't wanna, Jessie," he muttered. Link giggled.

"I'm not your girlfriend, Rhett. Wake up!" Rhett's uncovered eye snapped open and he inhaled sharply. It took him a few seconds to remember why he couldn't see and he sat up, slowly.

"Link?" He looked, frightened, out into what he perceived as absolute darkness.

"Yeah." Link's voice reassured his friend and his face relaxed.

"Just checking." Rhett stood up and leaned against the other man. "Thanks. For... for everything."

"Anytime, Rhett."

~ ~ ~

Link woke early the next day. He wanted to have extra time to help Rhett with his first morning without eyesight. He glanced in on his new roommate on his way to the bathroom. His friend looked peaceful, as peaceful as he did that day on the studio couch. Link couldn't help but smile at the sight. After cleaning himself up in the bathroom he planned to wake his friend and get him started in his morning routine, but just as he was leaving the bathroom he came face to face with what appeared to be a groggy mountain man.

"Morning Rhett."

"Morning Link. You been up long?"

"Twenty minutes maybe." He glanced at the white eye bandage. "You need help with that? With your eye patch?" Rhett put his hand to his covered eye.

"I can manage." He seemed irritated despite trying to force a smile. ' _His medication must have worn off,_ ' Link thought to himself. "If you're done in there, I'd like to take a shower. I reek."

"All yours, man. Don't fall down in there. I'll be in the kitchen, making breakfast, if you need anything." Rhett waved his friend away.

"Yeah, yeah, I got this. Don't worry." He fumbled through the doorway and Link rolled his eyes. Heading down the stairs, Link paused at the landing. He had helped Rhett climb these steps last night even after he insisted he didn't need the help.

' _How did he make it down these stairs yesterday?_ ' Link wondered. He thought about waiting there for his friend, to help him when he got done in the shower, but he figured if the man needed help, he'd shout. Sure enough, just as Link was finished with his morning cereal, he heard his name called from upstairs.

"Coming," he called back. The bathroom door was still closed and for a moment he considered just opening the door, but knocked instead. "You okay in there?" The door opened a few inches. Rhett was standing behind it, slightly damp all over, and wearing a towel around his waist. Link tried not to think about that. His friend's eyes were still closed but the white bandage from the day before was gone.

"I'm fine I just..." Rhett blushed, slightly. "I just forgot to grab some clothes. Can you go pick some out for me?"

"Sure. Anything in particular?"

"Just whatever.  I trust you man." With that, he closed the door. Link went to the bedroom and quickly found a pair of skinny jeans, a pair of socks, and a grey t-shirt. As he opened Rhett's underwear drawer, he felt himself blush. It was weird picking through another man's underpants. He couldn't help but wonder if his friend kept any condoms hidden there, like he did. As he picked out a plain pair of boxers he tried not to think about the image of Rhett putting them on. Link shut the drawer hard and shook his head. Back at the bathroom door, he knocked again.

"I got you some clothes," he said. The door opened a crack and he slipped the clothes inside.

"Thanks," Rhett said, taking the clothes, and the door quickly closed once more. Link went back downstairs to wait. A few minutes later, the tall man emerged fully clothed. Moving carefully, he walked down the stairs and into the living room. He looked much better, all cleaned up. His trademark blond hair was down, the long strands covering his forehead like bangs, and the dampness made it look darker than usual.

"How do I look? I hope I got all the shampoo out of my hair." He ran his hand over his head, looking self-conscious. ' _He looks pretty good,_ ' Link thought to himself. He stood and walked around his friend to make sure everything was in order. He chuckled and grabbed at the tag on the t-shirt.

"Your shirt's inside-out."

"Crap." Rhett pulled off the shirt and preceded to turn it right-side-out. Link watched closely, to make sure his friend didn't put it on backwards or something. His eyes poured over the tight back muscles as they flexed to put the shirt back on. He knew Rhett had been working out at the gym lately but he hadn't noticed how well it had been working. Link was jostled out of his thoughts as the taller man turned around.

"Better?" He asked.

"Yeah, uh, looks good." He cleared his throat, hoping to mask how awkward he sounded. Rhett just smiled.

"I'm sure the fans will post in the comments if anything is amiss. Like always." He made his way to the kitchen, Link right behind him.

"What do you want for breakfast?" he asked. "We have cereal or cereal." Rhett chuckled.

"Little of both, please." After Link poured him a fresh bowl he went to get his friend's meds. When he got back, the cereal was already half gone.

"How is it you have a smaller mouth than me but eat so much faster?"

"It's a sign of intelligence," Rhett smirked. He finished the cereal the took his pills with the leftover milk. "Come on," he said, getting up. "Today is going to be very interesting."


	4. Misunderstanding

Link looked at his co-host sitting next to him at the desk. His eyes were closed and his fingers were nervously fidgeting.

“You should open your eyes.” Link commented. “You know people are going to want to know what they look like.” Rhett frowned, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I’ll show them for a bit, but I like keeping them shut.” He put his hand up in front of his face and opened one eye. “It’s kinda scary seeing nothing but blackness when my eyelids are open.” He moved his hand back and forth. “It feels like my eyes are closed even when they’re not. I just feel better with them closed, when they’re supposed to see nothing.” He shut his eye again and put his hands, palms down, on the desk. “You know?”

“Sort of.” Link smiled and put his hand on Rhett’s shoulder; he felt tense. “Everything’s gonna be fine. You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” Rhett nodded and relaxed a little. Just then the crew signaled that they were ready to start filming. The two hosts turned to face the camera.

“We missed an episode yesterday and your eyes are closed, Rhett.”

“Let’s talk about that.” Rhett took a deep breath and released it, slowly. After a few moments, he continued.

“Yesterday there was no Good Mythical Morning show but Link and I are going to explain why that is right now.”

“Last week you remember us trying some exotic delicacies from around the world including some salo which is, in essence, raw pork.”

“Now we’ve eaten many gross things on this show but this is the first time something has…” Rhett’s voice faltered but only Link noticed. He resisted the urge to touch his friend’s hand as he took over, not missing a beat, as if he was interrupting.

“…well we’ve dry heaved a lot, but this is much more serious. Turns out the pork had parasites in it. Take this as a warning kids: always thoroughly cook your meats.”

“Anyway, the parasites caused an infection behind my eyes…” Rhett pointed at his temples. “And my optic nerves are inflamed so badly it’s causing information from my eyes to not reach my brain. I am, for all intents and purposes, completely blind. Now my eyes don’t look any different…” He opened his eyes wide and looked in the direction he hoped the camera was in. “Since they aren’t actually damaged…”

“He’s not faking, folks. See?” Link raised his hand and made a few karate-chop motions towards his friend’s face to demonstrate. One swing got a bit too close and Rhett leaned back, closing his eyes, and raised his arms defensively.

“Whoa! Don’t do that,” he said. “I can still feel the wind from you doing that.” Link chuckled uncomfortably.

“Sorry. Anyway we want you to know we’re still here.”

“Things will be a bit different, but the show must go on. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to normal in no time.”

~ ~ ~

Much of the rest of the episode was spent talking about what it was like to go blind. Rhett quickly got back into the swing of things and was fairly cheerful. He seemed just like his old self by the time they got to the mythical wheel ending: ‘we’re selling a heart’. He made a joke about having to sell the vital organ to pay for medical bills then preceded to pantomime surgically removing Link’s heart. After Good Mythical More, where Link talked about what he would do if he went blind, both he and Rhett breathed a huge sigh of relief. The show went fine and it was one more piece of evidence that these few weeks were not going to be as hard as they had feared.

Stevie suggested that the two men take the rest of the day off; she and the crew could handle working on the episode. Link was hesitant. He knew there was very little that Rhett could do to help, but to not work on the editing himself felt weird.

“I can work on my laptop at home, I guess,” he said, “but call me if you need anything.” Stevie assured him they would be fine without him for the day. She knew Rhett still needed him during this adjustment period. Before the co-hosts left, Rhett made sure he had his guitar.

“Tomorrow we’ll be recording the 'Thursday means mail’ episode for the week,” he explained. “I want to practice playing.”

~ ~ ~

Back at the house, Link set up his laptop in the small dining room, and started looking for something he could quiz Rhett on to replace the 'Duck Hunt in real life’ episode they were planning on recording Friday. Rhett made his way, gingerly, to the living room and sat on the couch, guitar in hand. After getting his hands into their basic positions, he tried to move his left fingers onto the correct strings for the cord for the mail song. After a few seconds of clumsy maneuvering, he managed to play the first cord. After that, the rest of the cords fell into place easily.

After playing the mail song a few times to make sure he had it down, Rhett began to pluck various cords, feeling how his fingers remembered them without looking. He fell into some random melody and Link found himself pulled from the computer screen. He sat and watched his friend, listening to the beautiful notes that flowed from the guitar so effortlessly. He loved to listen during these times when his friend played nothing in particular, just letting the notes fall into place out of nowhere. It felt like hearing Rhett’s spirit, so free and uninhibited. Link loved those qualities about him.

After playing for about twenty minutes, Rhett set down the guitar, stood up, and stretched. Link turned back to his computer screen, ready to act as if he had not just been lost in his friend’s music. As he tried to remember what he had been doing before he got distracted, Rhett managed to make his way over to him and gripped the back of the chair he was sitting in.

“Hey Link, do you wanna order something for lunch?”

“Sure. I can finish this later. Why don’t you call Jessie while I call Papa John’s?” Rhett’s face went expressionless. Link could tell something was wrong and he didn’t want to pry but the woman deserved to know what was going on. “Please, Rhett?”

“Sure.” His expression was still frozen, but he tried to sound like everything was fine. He headed out of the room, arms guiding him, towards the bathroom and shut the door. Link shook his head. Jessie and Rhett had been dating for a few months now. She was a nice girl and Rhett had seemed to be happy with her. Link wasn’t sure if something was up or not but surely if something was wrong his best friend would tell him. Wouldn’t he?

He had finished placing their usual pizza order by the time Rhett came back. He tried to read his friend's expression again, to see if he was sad or angry. He wanted some sort of clue as to what, if anything, was going on with him and his girlfriend. Rhett just looked tired.

“How’d it go?” Link asked.

“Fine, I guess. I think she took it pretty well. She said she would come over after work to take me to dinner.”

“Well that’s good,” Link chuckled. Rhett’s brow furrowed a bit in confusion. His friend explained: “I won’t have to cook!”

~ ~ ~

Jessie arrived around six o'clock while Rhett was still getting ready. Link answered the door and greeted her with a friendly hug.

“It’s good to see you, Jessie. I’m sure Rhett will be glad to have you around. He just changing his shirt, he should be ready soon.” He took her jacket and they sat down in the living room. She wasn’t very dressed up, still wearing the clothes from work. Link figured she had come straight here instead if stopping home first. Her dark hair was pulled back with a small clip and her makeup could have used a touch up. She looked up at him, trying not to look tired.

“How is he?”

“He’s doing okay. He actually gets around pretty well. I don’t have to help him as much as I thought. I think I’m here mostly just in case, you know?”

“He’s lucky to have a friend like you, Link.” She put her hand on his knee and smiled. “I’m glad he can count on you.” For a moment their eyes locked and Link could see a question in her gaze. It was an unnerving, suspicious gaze. It was as if she was trying to read him, or read his mind. It was only a moment though, and then it was gone.

“I should go and see if he’s ready.” Link said, turning away. He stood and headed up the stairs.

He knocked on the bedroom door and Rhett called him to enter. Inside Rhett was sitting on the bed, facing away from the door. He had changed from his t-shirt to a buttoned-up green plaid one that Link had helped him pick out earlier, and was fumbling to finish buttoning it. Link smiled and suddenly a mischievous thought entered his mind. He walked towards the bed without a word. Rhett lifted up his head at the sound of footsteps.

“Is that you Jessie?” he asked, not turning around. “I heard the doorbell.” Link gave a high-pitched giggle. He had known for some time he could sound just like Jessie if he tried. Rhett smiled. “Come here, baby.” Link grinned and stepped right up behind his friend. He couldn’t wait to see the look on his friend face when he found out he’d been fooled. Leaning down, Link put his face right next to Rhett’s ear and giggled again.

Before he could even blink, Rhett turned his head and planted a hard kiss right on Link’s face, half on his lips. Immediately he realized his mistake. Unless Jessie had suddenly developed five o'clock shadow, this was not his girlfriend. His expression was instantly one of pure horror and he swallowed before speaking.

“L-Link?” His voice was soft and trembling. Link hadn’t moved, equally in shock. He tried to respond but couldn’t find the air to breathe, let alone speak. When he didn’t hear a response, Rhett moved his hand towards the face he sensed was still there, but then stopped, unsure.

“I…” Link started, finally. He pulled back slowly. “I just came up to tell you Jessie is downstairs.” Rhett nodded, collecting himself. As he stood he seemed to make a decision. He cleared his throat and gave Link a small smile.

“You’re weird.” He walked past his friend and carefully started making his way back downstairs. Link haven’t moved; he felt glued to the spot. ' _Rhett just kissed me,_ ’ he thought. The image of the blond man, eyes closed, lips pressed against him, seemed seared onto his retinas. He could still feel the soft lips and bushy beard against his skin. ' _He kissed me._ ’ The thought repeated over and over but it wasn’t the fact itself that frightened him. It was the nagging feeling, in the back of his mind that bothered him the most. Rhett had kissed him, and Link had enjoyed it.

Before that nagging feeling could fully develop into a cognitive thought, Link shook himself and left the bedroom. He stored away the memory of the last few minutes to mull over later. Right now he needed to say goodbye to Rhett and Jessie. This wasn’t his house, but he felt like he was neglecting his hostly duties just standing around.

Downstairs everything felt normal again. Jessie was helping her boyfriend put on his jacket and talking about how cold it had gotten outside in the last few days. It was boring talk. Normal boring talk and it made Link feel much better. Normal he could do.

Jessie asked Link to join the couple out to eat, but he insisted he needed to get some work done. It was an easy excuse, since it was true. They chatted for a few minutes more as the couple said their goodbyes and headed out to dinner. Link waved to them as they walked out to Jessie’s car before closing the door behind them. He leaned against the door, listening as the car revved up then drove away.

The image of his friend’s face kissing him threatened to play through his mind again and he shook it away. He walked back to the dining room table where his laptop was and sat down. He immediately began looking for something, anything, that would distract him, but found he couldn’t focus. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“It was nothing,” he said to no one. He gripped the edge of the table and stared forward. “It meant nothing.” For a brief moment he believed it. Then suddenly he couldn’t hang on anymore. With an exasperated sigh, he dropped his head into his hands.

“Shit,” he muttered. “What am I going to do?”


	5. Inception

By the time Rhett and Jessie got back from dinner, Link had decided that he wasn’t going to make a big deal out the whole ‘I kissed my friend’ incident. He had just been messing around and accidentally pressed lips with another man. Things didn’t have to get weird.

Jessie didn’t stay long after dropping her boyfriend off. She was eager to get some sleep after such a long day but she promised to come back the next day to take him out for dinner again. After she left, Rhett told Link how she planned to stay over during the weekend, to give his roommate a break.

' _And them some alone time, no doubt,_ ’ thought Link. The two men stayed up talking about various things and it seemed that nothing had changed between them. The more they talked, the more normal things seemed, the more Link began to forget that the kiss had ever even happened. It definitely appeared that Rhett had forgotten about it completely.

That night, after Link had taken his shower, he laid down to sleep on the couch downstairs just like he had the night before. Rhett was upstairs, probably already asleep, and the entire house was quiet, everything was at peace.

~ ~ ~

Almost instantly, Link was asleep. His dreams washed in and out of his conscious mind, not really centering on one thing or another, nothing really settling into focus, for quite sometime. Then, suddenly, he found himself back at the studio, recording an episode of Good Mythical Morning. Rhett was sitting beside him and talking into the camera like they did nearly everyday, but Link couldn’t understand anything his co-host was saying. Rhett turned to him after a moment and Link realized he was supposed to say something too, but he didn’t know what this episode was about. He looked blankly at his friend, hoping he would remember.

“Link,” Rhett said, looking into his co-host’s blue eyes with his own, gorgeous green ones. “You have to say something.”

“But I don’t know what’s going on.” Link whispered back, trying to not look like an idiot in front of the camera. Rhett leaned closer to him, unusually close.

“Yes, you do.” Tilting his head slightly to one side, he closed the short gap between them and pressed their lips together firmly.

“Rhett…” Link whispered, half-heartedly trying to pull away. His friend ignored him, sliding a hand slowly up his thigh.

“Link…” His deep voice resonated with desire, tearing away at Link's resolve.

“Rhett, please…” he begged, but he wasn’t sure what he was begging for. He wanted it to stop. He never wanted it to stop.

“Link…” His hand reached Link's groin and started to…

“Rhett!” Link shouted as he woke up with a start. He sat straight up. He was drenched in sweat and his heart was pounding in his chest. As he tried to steady himself, he heard footsteps coming from upstairs. Putting on his glasses, he turned towards the stairs just in time to see Rhett coming to the landing. He was in his boxers and looked very concerned.

“Link! Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine, I just had a… a nightmare. I’m sorry I woke you.” Rhett hesitated, but after some more reassuring from Link that everything was fine he went back to bed. Link stayed up for a long time, afraid to go back to sleep.

' _What the fuck was that?_ ’ he wondered.

~ ~ ~

Despite the lingering memory if the dream, and the slight lack of sleep, Link managed to get through the rest of the week without much awkwardness. He could feel himself sit farther away from his co-host during the Mythical Morning recordings, but he didn’t care. He was afraid of giving his dreams any more material than they already had. When the two friends were at home, Link made excuses not to hang around his temporary roommate, saying he needed to work, or needed a nap, even if it was the middle of the afternoon. Rhett could obviously feel the distance, and while Link could tell he didn’t like it, he knew his friend would give him space. Link didn’t want them to become distant, but he felt some time apart might help cleanse him somehow. He secretly could not wait for this weekend to come when he could be at his own house, alone.

It felt like ages until Friday eventually came around. Jessie showed up with a suitcase and a very excited look on her face. She greeted both men with a hug, holding on to her boyfriend a bit longer of course. Link had already packed his things together and was eager to get going, to get away and have some time to think. He hadn’t had another Rhett dream since Tuesday night, but he was afraid of having another. He gave his goodbyes to Rhett and Jessie, trying to be as polite as possible and while Jessie didn’t seem to care (she was also eager for Link to leave) Rhett seemed somewhat despondent.

“You’ll come pick me up on Monday, right?” he asked, hugging his best friend goodbye.

“Of course, and you can call me anytime if you need anything.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Jessie assured him. “Don’t worry about us, you just get some rest. I can take it from here.” She gave Rhett a coy side hug and winked. Link was more than happy to let her take over. He waved goodbye one more time as he walked down the driveway and gave a sigh of relief when he was in his car. It was the first time in a week he had truly been alone and it felt good.

~ ~ ~

That night he slept in his own bed like a baby. It was far more comfortable than any couch but more than that, he didn’t dream about Rhett even once. When he woke in the morning he felt immensely refreshed. It was like the whole week had been washed away and everything was back to normal.

As he ate his breakfast, he began to feel guilty for how he had treated his friend for the past few days. It wasn’t Rhett’s fault that Link had dreamt of him. It wasn’t even his fault that they had kissed. It had been an honest mistake, and it didn’t mean anything. The dream didn’t mean anything either, Link concluded. It was just his brain fixating on the event, but now it wouldn’t happen again, he was sure of it. He thought about calling Rhett and apologizing for being so distant but figured that A: Rhett didn’t want to be disturbed while he was with Jessie and B: the whole 'kissing incident’ was better left forgotten. He decided that he could just make it up to his friend next week.

“But not today,” he said aloud to himself. “Today I’m not going to think about him at all.” After breakfast, he changed into a simple t-shirt and khaki shorts, his usual attire for biking. After packing a bag with a few bottles of water and some fixings for lunch, he threw the bag and his bike into his car and was off to his favorite bike trail. Normally he’d call his friend, Nick, to join him, but he really wanted the solitude today. Next week promised to be much like the last, with all his time spent with Rhett. It wasn’t that he didn’t look forward to being back together with his dearest friend, he just wanted to get the most out of his time by himself that he could.

He rode his bike up and down trails for hours, only stopping once for some lunch. It was exhilarating and he was sad when his body began to cry out for rest. It was afternoon when he drove back up to his house. He practically stumbled into the house and collapsed on his couch, wonderfully sore from the exercise of the day. Sinking into the soft pillows he found sleep coming over him and he welcomed it, gladly.

~ ~ ~

It wasn’t until half past six that he woke, but he stayed lying there, unwilling to move from his comfortable spot. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, and found his mind beginning to wander. After such a long time, he let himself think about Rhett, and congratulated himself for not thinking about him all day. It made him so happy that thoughts of his friend didn’t make him feel awkward, as he had feared. He felt that this hiatus apart was just the thing they needed to get their friendship back on track.

As he laid there, thinking, he heard his phone ring.

“Speak of the devil…” he chuckled. It was indeed Rhett calling him. Slightly confused, but happy to hear from his friend nonetheless, he answered the phone cheerfully. “Hey, Rhett. What’s up?” The voice on the other end of the phone was a great deal less enthusiastic.

“Hey Link. Um, can you come over? I need … I need your help with … something.”

“What happened?” Link didn’t understand. Surely Jessie was there to help him with anything he’d need.

“Please just .. just come over, will you?”

“Sure, I’ll be over in a bit.”

~ ~ ~

It was a short ride to Rhett’s house, but it felt like it took ages to make the drive. Link was surprised to not see Jessie’s car in the driveway and it’s absence filled him with a sense of dread. He nearly ran up to the front door and knocked a bit harder than he intended, but he suddenly needed to be sure his friend was alright, more than anything. When the door swung open, Rhett was there in his pajamas. His eyes were puffy from crying and his cheeks were still damp with tears.

“Jessie left me.” His voice came out as barely a whisper and at the sound if these words he looked on the verge of collapse. Link put his hands on Rhett’s arms and the giant fell into his embrace, sobbing into his shoulder.

“Hey, hey, shh, it’s alright; I’m here.” Link hugged his friend close, as if he could protect him from all the sorrows of the world. He rubbed his back and Rhett seemed to calm slightly. “Let’s go inside, huh? Come on.” He helped his friend inside and they sat on the couch in silence as Rhett continued to cry softly. He didn’t want to talk and Link knew that. He just held his friend close until his tears ran dry. As Rhett finally pulled away, muttering apologies for falling apart and such, Link rubbed his back again.

“You never have to apologize for crying,” he told him. “And I’ll always be here for you to cry on.” Rhett managed a small smile at that thought. “Are you ready to tell me what happened?” For a moment Rhett seemed to be mulling it over but then he shook his head.

“Ask me tomorrow.” He inhaled sharply, stretched his arms and his expression changed from somber to mischievous in an instant. “Hey, I got a few beers hiding in the back of the fridge. Can you grab us some? I really want to get drunk right now.” Link wasn’t a big drinker, neither was Rhett for that matter, but maybe the alcohol would help Rhett loosen up enough to explain exactly what had happened, so Link went and fetched the beer. There were quite a few cans leftover from their last Christmas party. Someone, he couldn’t remember who, had bought them, but they were practically untouched.

~ ~ ~

It wasn’t long before an entire six and a half pack of beer had been drunk up by the pair, though mostly by the taller of the two. Link’s hopes of getting the full story of the day’s events were thoroughly dashed as Rhett quickly became very intoxicated. It was when he started to wobble, like he couldn’t even sit up straight, that Link decided it was time for bed.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” he said, hauling his friend up by the shoulders.

“Oh you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” his friend replied, with a somewhat argumentative tone.

“Come on, rummy.” Link carried the half-conscious man up the stairs, into the bedroom, and dropped him, unceremoniously, onto the mattress. Certain that Rhett would be fine for the night, Link turned to leave when he heard his friend call to him.

“Don’t go, Link.” Link turned around to see Rhett leaning on his side, one arm reaching out in front of him. The sad expression from before had come back to his face. “Please, don’t leave me.”

“I’m not leaving, I’m going downstairs.”

“No Link, please. Stay.” He looked like he might start crying again. Link sighed. 

“Alright,” he said, coming back to the bed. “Roll over then.” Rhett smiled and managed to half turn himself to the far side of the mattress. Link gave his friend an extra push to make more room for himself and slid under the covers next to him. For a moment there was silence and he felt himself start to drift off to dream land. Just before he fell into unconsciousness, he heard Rhett say something.

“Link,” he began.

“What, Rhett?” But there didn’t come an answer. In fact, the man had started snoring, having fallen asleep mid-thought. Link smiled.

“Goodnight Rhett.”


	6. Revelations

Link woke the next morning with his arm slung over Rhett and his body flush with his. He considered moving away, since he knew Rhett didn't like it when his co-host spooned him, but he didn't want to wake his friend. He knew this sleeping giant had been hurt and he wanted to give him as much time in peaceful dream land that he could. It felt nice anyway, snuggling with his buddy. He closed his eyes and embraced the serenity of early morning innocence.

It wasn't much later when Rhett began to stir. He moved his arms, rubbing his chest, and found Link's arm over him. He grabbed it gently, feeling the hand for any indication of who was touching him.

"Link?" he asked, sleepily.

"Yeah." Link didn't move his hand but rolled his body back a bit.

"I had a weird dream." He continued to hold Link's hand, perhaps unconsciously. "I dreamt we were fishing, but couldn't catch any fish. Then you fell in the water and I had to pull you out."

"Thank you."

"Anytime." They chuckled for a moment before Rhett finally pulled away and sat up, swinging his feet off the side of the bed. "I gotta pee." He groaned as he pulled himself up and headed slowly towards the bathroom. Link rolled over onto his back. The memories of yesterday crept into his waking brain and he sighed. He had to get Rhett to tell him what happened, but he was nervous. All these years as friends, they never kept secrets from one another, at least, nothing important. He felt it wasn't going to be easy, but he had to try.

A few minutes later, Rhett returned and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his closed eyes. Link sat up and inched his way over until he was sitting right next to him. They were quiet for a moment, one thinking of what to say and the other waiting for the question that he knew was coming. Finally, Link spoke.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Rhett ran his hands through his hair, clearly contemplating his answer. After moment, he took a deep breath and started to speak, his head hanging low.

"Probably a long time coming, I suppose. She'd been patient with me, I think. She wanted to for a long time but I just... I just didn't... I couldn't..." His voice faltered and Link put his arm over his shoulders. He waited patiently for his friend to continue. "Anyway. I guess I said no too many times and she had enough. I said no and that was the end if it."

"No to what?" Link had a guess and he really didn't want to press the issue but he wanted to be sure. He needed to know what was going on if he was going to help.

"Sleeping together," Rhett answered, quietly. Link didn't say anything right away, but his mouth couldn't help but talk without his brain's approval.

"They have pills for that," he blurted. Rhett scoffed and shook his head.

"It's not like that. I kinda wish it was. I just.. I don't know. I didn't want to." He turned his face away, his face turning slightly pink. Link rubbed his friend's back, not sure what to say, not sure how he could make things better. After a moment, Rhett jumped to his feet and started pacing back and forth, frustrated.

"I don't know, Link. You know I used to think about girls all the time, since we were kids. I could hardly think about anything else, but lately... I mean I think their pretty and all... I dunno!" He threw his hands up, defeated, then stood there, arms crossed, biting his lip. Another pregnant pause filled the room.

"Do you think about... men?" Link asked, hesitantly.

"No. I don't... I think about..." His voice caught in this throat and he cleared it before continuing. "Nothing, I guess." He turned his face away again. "I thought maybe if I started dating Jessie it would help, but it didn't. It didn't change anything. It was like just going through the motions." It was then Link realized his friend wasn't feeling broken-hearted, just... broken, and this wasn't something he knew how to fix. He stood up and reached out his hand to Rhett's arm. At the touch Rhett let the tears that had been building up break loose again, and he fell into the shorter man's arms. "What's wrong with me, Link?" he asked, his face buried in Link's shoulder.

"I don't know." Link held his friend close. There was no judgment, only devotion. "But we'll figure it out together. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

~ ~ ~

After crying his eyes out in Link's arms for the second time that weekend, Rhett appeared to feel a great deal better. It seemed as though the weight of keeping his secret had been lifted, raising his spirits immensely. Link also felt a sense of relief, finally knowing what had been going on in Rhett's mind. As they sat and talked on the bedroom floor afterwards, he felt at peace. They talked about old girlfriends, their days in college, and other things. They sat there for hours, just talking, both happy to ignore the world outside that room and just enjoy being together.

Eventually though, their stomachs growled, reminding them that they couldn't stay there all day, no matter how much they wanted to. Unwillingly, they left their sanctuary and went downstairs to eat. As they waited for frozen waffles to finish cooking in the toaster, they sat and talked about plans for the rest of the day. They decided to stay in and watch/listen to some programs on Netflix. There were a few stand-up specials on there that Rhett didn't need sight to enjoy.

"Sounds great," Link said, just as the waffles popped. He moved to stand up and get them when he felt a clumsy grasp onto his arm. He froze and the grip moved to become more certain. He looked to see Rhett trying to hold his hand.

"You're my best friend Link," he said. "I'm really glad I've had you to get me through this." He smiled and Link smiled back. Then, remembering his friend couldn't see his gesture of understanding, he patted the back of his hand. Link let his hand rest there for a moment. 'Just to reassure his friend' he told himself, but there was a warmth in that touch unrelated to basic body heat. That nervous feeling at the back of his mind threatened to taunt him again and he pulled his hand away. He mumbled something about the waffles getting cold and went to fetch them. They spent the rest of the meal eating in silence.

~ ~ ~

After their late breakfast, the two men settled in to watch/listen to some comedians on Netflix. At first they were on opposite ends of the couch, but halfway through the first comedian's routine, Rhett took a bathroom break. When he returned he fumbled to find a seat and ended up sitting quite close to Link. Neither man mentioned it. The shorter man attributed the closeness to other's lack of sight and didn't want to draw attention to it, but suddenly he couldn't seem to focus on the jokes being told on the screen. He found himself continually glancing at this man next to him as he laughed, a man oblivious to Link's glances. After awhile, his glances turned to stares, and for him the television program was all but forgotten. He watched in fascination as Rhett giggled, chuckled and laugh right out loud. He couldn't help but think just how adorable his friend looked.

' _What?_ ' his thoughts suddenly asked him. ' _Where did that word come from? Adorable? Did I just think that? Is that weird?_ ' This word called the simple pleasure of watching his friend into question. A moment ago he thought nothing of it, but now he contemplated his actions in a different, awkward light. He could think his friend was adorable, right? Surely that wasn't weird. He looked back to Rhett who was completely unaware of his friends inner turmoil.

' _He is, though,_ ' Link thought, with a soft sigh. ' _He's freaking adorable._ ' With a strange, self-satisfied smile, he turned back to watch the rest of the program. He didn't know exactly what the back of his mind was up to, but he decided that he didn't care. He was going to enjoy this time with his friend. He was going to let himself be happy. Like so many times when Rhett made him feel weird on their internet show, Link just embraced the awkward.

He managed to make it through three comedy stand up programs with only a few more glances at his friend. He rationalized his stares knowing he probably wouldn't get a chance to really look once Rhett's eyesight returned. He ignored that small piece in the very back of his mind that told him it was weird to stare. He ignored it when his friend's laugh made him feel warm inside. He ignored it when his friend put his arm on the back of the couch and behind his shoulders. Things weren't weird. Things were normal. They had sat like this before, just watching TV together, hundreds of times over the years. Nothing had really changed.

When the last program ended, Rhett stretched his back, raising his arms over his head. Link involuntarily caught a whiff of the other man's B.O. and made an exaggerated 'phew' noise.

"Dude, you need a shower," he said. Rhett gave his own underarm a sniff.

"Oh, sorry. I'll just go take care of that right now." He got up with a groan and started making his way towards the stairs. He paused as a thought occurred to him, and turned back for a moment. "We should have Chinese for dinner. What do you think?" Link sighed.

"That place you like doesn't deliver anymore. I'd have to go pick it up." Rhett just pouted.

"Please, Link?" he begged. "I can't go myself. I can't see!"

"Playing the blind card? Really?" Rhett continued to use his sad puppy dog face to its full extent. Link shook his head and sighed again. "Fine, I'll go, and wipe that grin off your face!" he added as the puppy pout changed to a toothy grin.

"Never!"

~ ~ ~

It didn't take long for Link to get their usual order from the take out place and head back to the house. He let himself in, having brought a key to the house with him. As he entered the house, Rhett's was nowhere to be seen.

"Rhett?" Link called out, slightly concerned. Nothing. He set the food on the kitchen counter and headed upstairs, hoping his friend hadn't fallen in the shower and hurt himself. As he reached the top if the stairs, a familiar figure exited the bathroom and crossed the hallway towards the bedroom. A familiar, and very naked figure. Despite himself, Link let out a small noise, a mix of surprise and embarrassment. It was very quiet, but Rhett froze in his tracks and immediately moved to cover himself. He turned his head sharply towards the source of the sound.

"Link! I uh, I didn't think you'd be back yet." He swallowed hard. His whole face was beet red.

"Apparently," Link managed to say.

"Heh, I forgot to bring a towel with me. Excuse me." Moving more clumsily than usual, unable to use his hands for anything other than covering himself, he made his way into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Link was left in the hall, with shocked expression plastered on his face, and the image of a naked man lodged in his brain.


	7. Realizations

Link managed to sound completely normal while they ate dinner, but he knew the entire time he was constantly blushing and trying to avoid looking at Rhett. He knew if his friend hadn’t been blind it would have been painfully obvious that he was still very uncomfortable about having seen the other man naked, but he was determined to not let it be weird. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t quite shake the memory away.

Half way through the meal, Rhett was talking about something but Link wasn’t listening. He was remembering the crystal clear image of his roommate completely naked, walking across the hallway without a care in the world. He was snapped back to reality when that man’s voice suddenly got louder.

“You still there, buddy?” Rhett asked, clearly worried his friend had left the room without telling him. Link quickly looked down at his food, embarrassed.

“Yeah, Rhett. I just… I’m eating.”

“No you’re not, I can hear the lack of eating. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah… I’m sorry, I was just thinking. I don’t want to talk about it right now,” he added quickly. Rhett sighed, but let the matter drop.

“I asked if you had everything you needed for tonight. You are staying over, aren’t you?”

“Of course. With Jessie gone, I’m the only friend you got.” He meant it as a joke, but instantly regretted it. “I’m sorry, Rhett, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay. Jessie’s gone and it’s okay. I’m okay with her leaving. She deserves someone who actually loves her back. She and I were never going to work out. It was only a matter of time.” He managed a small smile and Link knew it was sincere.

“You’ll find somebody,” he said, trying not to sound too cliche’. “In the mean time, you’ve got me.” Standing up, he thought about giving Rhett a reassuring hug but decided against it. Instead he went about cleaning up the leftovers. “I’ll need to go back to my place for my stuff for the week, but I don’t wanna drive tonight. I’ll go get them tomorrow morning before work.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

~ ~ ~

They spent the rest of the day between various Netflix programs, barely pausing between shows. Link was desperate to avoid talking to his temporary roommate, as well as leave any time for his brain to dwell on the events of earlier. Eventually he was able to distract himself completely and felt that things were almost back to normal. Rhett seemed to be his usual cheerful self and Link felt the same.

When it was time for bed, Rhett excused himself and retired to his room upstairs. Link set up his make-shift bed on the couch before also going upstairs but heading for the bathroom. After a quick shower, and a change into borrowed PJ’s, he laid down on the couch, his mind completely at ease and within minutes he was fast asleep.

The next thing he knew, he was long gone from the comfort of his best friend’s living room, or anywhere that he recognized. He stood, completely naked, in a vast forest of dark trees, everyone of them reaching far up and out of sight. A dense fog moved slowly around his lower body and through the trees, obscuring the forest floor and leaving his skin damp and cold. Though he couldn’t see the sky, a soft moonlight lit all that he could see, which was very little. He also heard nothing, no birds or insects, or even the rustled of leaves. All was calm and silent.

Only vaguely aware of his nudity, Link walked forward through the mist, trying to reach somewhere beyond the vast forest around him. He walked for what seemed like hours until, ahead of him, a light began to appear through the trees. It was dim, at first, but grew brighter and brighter as he approached it.

In a small area, where the trees were less dense, a large, wooden door stood alone. He didn’t recognize it, yet it felt very familiar. A thin stream of light was emanating from the space beneath it and through a small keyhole near the handle. He approached it slowly, his hand shaking, tentatively. Grasping the doorknob, he turned it, and began to open the door.

He was running. His eyes were covered and he could feel a hand gently, but firmly, grasping his own. Though he couldn’t see, he knew it was Rhett. They were in the park, shooting a scene for their trust exercise video. Link was slightly scared, but he knew he would be safe. He always felt safe with Rhett by his side.

He was in third grade, standing on a soccer field at school. John Carson, a fellow student, was sitting on a bench nearby, holding his stomach. Rhett was glaring at John, standing protectively next to Link. Rhett had finally had enough of people picking on Link and couldn’t stand it anymore. Link was his friend and no one would speak to him that way. Link looked up at Rhett, amazed. This gentle giant had never hit anyone before, and now he had, just for him. For Link.

They were in Buies Creek, sitting on two large boulders by the river, across from one another. They were talking about various things ranging from unimportant to life-changing. It was here they made their plans for the day, the summer, the future. It was here they became blood brothers. Link looked at his friend, as if seeing him for the first time. There was a pause in their conversation and Rhett turned to ask why, but then their eyes locked, and he said nothing, a soft smile on his face. They didn’t need to say anything.

Rhett was leaning towards him, his hand pressed against Link’s, a piece of clear plastic held in between. They had been singing a news story about a couple who were still together after the man called in a false bomb threat to their wedding. Rhett was wearing a black wig, singing something about loving through the glass.

He pressed his lips against the plastic between them and Link hesitantly copied him. Their lips met, albeit separated by the thin, transparent material and he tried not to think about the implications. They giggled and Link could feel the plastic vibrated against his lips. Rhett pulled away and Link followed suit, but he couldn’t help but wonder…

He was in Rhett’s bedroom, his friend was sitting on the bed, facing away from him. He approached the bed and knelt down, slightly, so his head was right next to that of the man before him.

“I’m right here,” he said. Rhett turned, his eyes closed, and he slowly moved his face towards Link. Their lips were so close…

Link was in the forest again, and Rhett was standing right in front of him, now also naked. The thick fog conveniently covering their lower halves. His green eyes gazed into the shorter man’s piercing blue ones.

“Together,” Rhett said. Link was unsure if it was a statement or a question, so he didn’t respond. The taller man bent down, pressing his forehead against that of his friend. His hands grasped Link’s arms, pulling him closer. “Forever.” Again, the word could have been a question, but Link couldn’t tell. After a moment, green eyes searching for an answer, Link nodded, and Rhett smiled.

“Promise.” Rhett said/asked. He tilted his head and pressed his lips softly on Link’s. The shorter man felt no fear, no embarrassment, only warmth and safety. He moved his hands until his fingertips found the soft skin of his friend’s sides, gently caressing, barely touching. He tilted his head back and felt their kiss deepen, tongues exploring, hearts pounding. Their bodies pressed together, the feeling of electricity wherever their skin touched. There was no awkwardness, no hesitation, only love and desire. It was here, in the arms of this man, that Link felt he truly belonged. In that moment of pure peace, there was only one thought, one truth, one answer: 

Yes.

~ ~ ~

When the shrill beeping of his iPhone alarm roused him from his deep slumber the next morning, the images of the last night’s dream quickly evaporated, but the feelings he felt still lingered. It had been so real, and yet so surreal.

As Link sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes and remembered the reality of where and who he was, his thoughts turns to the no-doubt still sleeping man upstairs. His coworker, his friend, his blood brother… his love? He shook his head, telling himself it was just a dream, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was impossible for him to interpret the dream any other way. Somehow he had fallen in love with the one man who had always been there his entire life. It soon became less about what he felt, and more about what he was going to do about that feeling.

‘ _I’m in love with my best friend,_ ’ he thought, rising from his makeshift bed. Just a few days ago the mere hint of a thought of him feeling anything more than brotherly love towards Rhett would have been met with instant denial, but now he felt a sort of serenity in accepting this truth. He didn’t know what exactly he wanted to do next, but the certainty of what he felt made him feel better than he had in a long time. He didn’t even particularly care if his friend felt the same way, just then. He knew he would care later, but now, in this moment, he reveled in his self-actualization. Right now he was just happy knowing what it was that had been gathering in the back of his mind as of late. He was in love, and he was happy. 


	8. Turmoil

As he brushed his teeth the next morning, Link wondered how long he had been in love with Rhett but unable to admit it. Years, probably; decades maybe. Now that he was fully willing to acknowledge his feelings, he felt relieved, reborn. There was such freedom in accepting a truth he had denied for so long. ' _I'm in love with my best friend,_ ' he thought, over and over again. He smiled to himself while he fixed his hair and was humming unconsciously as he left the bathroom. Rhett was just coming out of the bedroom, a set of pre-organized clothes in his hands.

"You're cheerful this morning," he commented as they crossed paths in the hall.

"I am?"

"You're humming."

"Oh." Link chuckled and blushed slightly. "I guess I was. Huh." He gave a contented sigh and headed down the stairs, ignoring his friend's look of amused confusion. He felt like a teenager again, with a silly crush, but this was more than just an idle fancy. As he sat down to eat breakfast, he thought about all the times he and Rhett had exchanged longer-than-usual glances, or passing touches, and wondered how he could have ignored all the obvious signs of the affection he clearly had felt. He began to let himself wonder if Rhett had ever felt anything towards him. Would he be open to feeling such things?

Just as Link was finishing his cereal, Rhett made his careful way down the stairs. He was in one of the sets of clothes Link had made up for him: dark blue jeans and a faded red t-shirt. Even though he still couldn't see, he walked with quite a bit of confidence, and Link couldn't help but admire his movements. Rhett stopped short of the kitchen, lifted his arms out and gave a slow turn.

"Anything inside out, or backwards?" he asked. Link stood and gave his friend a good look over, going slower the usual. Nothing seemed out of place, he just really wanted to look this time. It was like looking at Rhett for the first time. He took careful note of how well the man filled in those tight jeans, how his shirt accentuated his muscles just slightly.

"Looks good," he finally said, trying to sound casual. He didn't want Rhett to know how he felt, how he made him feel, not yet. He had to work out how to tell his oldest and dearest friend that he was in love with him, he couldn't just blurt it out. This matter had to be handled extremely delicately. Rhett lowered his arms.

"I'm still not used to not fixing my hair." He ran his long fingers over his hair, wistfully.

"Just think how much you're saving on hair gel," Link joked. He patted Rhett's arm, comfortingly, and left it there longer than he intended to. Realizing he was lingering, he pulled away, clearing his throat. "Breakfast?"

"Sure," Rhett answered, seemingly unaware of any awkwardness. Link let out a silent sigh. This was going to be harder than he thought. He couldn't let things be weird before he even said anything. He didn't want his newly discovered feelings to ruin a lifelong friendship. This friendship meant more to him than anything and he would rather live with this secret for the rest of his life than lose Rhett as a friend.

~ ~ ~

During the ride to work, they talked about normal things, work mostly. Link kept the conversation light and casual, but every time he stopped at a stoplight, or traffic let him pause, he'd turn to his friend and stare. He couldn't help it. He knew he wouldn't be able to do that at work, with the crew around, and when Rhett got his eyesight back he wouldn't be able to stare even when they were alone. If it turned out Link had to kept this new found love to himself forever, he probably wouldn't be able to stare like this ever again.

' _Shame,_ ' he thought.

As the two men recorded their show that day, Link managed to not stare directly at his friend the whole time, though he may have looked at the blond man on the monitor a few too many times. He also sat slightly closer to him, hoping no one would notice. He felt he was doing a good job playing it cool until Rhett read the wheel ending for the episode.

"Rhett thinks Link is a window." It seemed so innocuous. Without missing a beat, the co-hosts both turned in their chairs to face one another. Link was unsure of what he should do, but he trusted his companion to start off their skit with flair. Before he could blink, Rhett's hands were on him, mostly trying to figure out where Link was in relation to himself.

"Let's get this window open," he said, "let some air in here." His left palm pressed against Link's lower torso while his other hand made a rotating motion, imitating a hand-crank window. Link didn't move or speak, completely at a loss for words. He didn't quite understand what his friend was doing.

"Seems to be stuck," Rhett grunted.

"What... what are you doing?" Link asked, regaining some composure, but the man ignored him.

"Oh, I'm opening it wrong. Hold on." Rhett moved his right hand down the other man's shirt, clumsily, until he found the bottom and grabbed hold. "I got it," he said and pulled up sharply. His left hand moved just enough to let the shirt slide past, but then resumed its place on his side. The sudden warmth of the hand on his skin caused blood to start rushing to Link's face. Playing it off as embarrassment for having his bare stomach exposed on camera, he quickly grabbed his shirt and pulled it down, shifting back and away from his friend.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, still playing along, "Knock it off, man!" Rhett let his friend pull away, dropping his hands to his lap.

"Huh," he said, "Never had a window talk back before." After a pause, he gave a short laugh then turned back to face the camera, ready to start Good Mythical More. Link laughed with him, somewhat half-heartedly. He tried not to think about the warm spot on his abdomen where Rhett had touched him. His face was still red, but he smiled anyway; this wasn't the first time he'd been made a fool of on the show.

After they finished Good Mythical More, Link excused himself to the bathroom.

' _Get a hold of yourself,_ ' he scolded himself, splashing cold water on his face. Hopes of making things stay normal we're crumbling around him. He stared at his reflection then shook his head. ' _Why did he have to touch me? Why does he have to make things so... difficult?_ ' Link grumbled angrily. Still, he couldn't deny that it had been pleasant, having Rhett touch him. It wasn't the first time there'd been an awkward exchange, but this time was different. This time his body had let him like it, and it was embarrassing having it react without his consent.

He splashed another handful of water on his face, trying to wash away the heat he felt was still there, though the redness was long gone. ' _You can do this._ '

' _No I can't,_ ' his mind argued.

' _Maybe you should just tell him._ '

' _God, no. What would he say?_ '

'' _He's your friend, you can tell him anything, remember?_ '

' _Now's not the time. He just broke up with Jessie, he's got his eyes to deal with... now is the worst time. What's wrong with you?_ '

' _Later then? When he's better?_ '

' _Yes, later._ ' He nodded to his reflection, confident in that decision. Later he would tell him, he thought, but he knew, deep inside, it was just an excuse. He just hoped that later didn't mean never.

A knock came on the bathroom door, startling him from his inner dialogue.

"Link?" It was Rhett. He sounded slightly concerned and Link mentally kicked himself for worrying his friend. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Gimme a minute." He listened as Rhett's footsteps faded away, then turned back to the mirror and let out a long breath. "I'm fine," he whispered. "Sure." His reflection stared back at him with judging eyes as if to say: 'Yeah, right.'

~ ~ ~

The car ride come was a stark contrast to the ride into work that morning. Link avoided looking at Rhett at all cost and even found himself at a loss for words when his friend tried to strike up a conversation, giving little response to his inquires.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Rhett finally said, slightly frustrated. "I'm sorry about lifting your shirt." Link felt a twinge of guilt at the sincerity of his friend's apology. He wasn't mad at Rhett, but he could tell his behavior towards him said otherwise.

"Its alright, I'm just tired." A downright lie. Like every day they'd worked since Rhett lost his eyesight, they had left work early. Link didn't feel tired at all, in fact he felt wired, like he had electricity running through his veins.

"Did you sleep okay last night?" A fair question, but it made Link fidget in his seat. Images of last night's dream flashed in his brain: the forest, the door... Rhett...

"Y-yeah," Link stuttered, trying to focus on driving and not his best friend's naked body pressed against him. "I mean, I guess." He swallowed, recomposing himself. "Couch was a bit lumpy is all, heh." He tried to chuckle off the awkwardness and started to change the subject, but Rhett wouldn't let it go.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch, you know," he interrupted. "I got my king sized bed in my room, and you're welcome to share it with me, just like we do sometimes at hotels." Link didn't answer. Suddenly the image of the two of them, lying next to each other the other morning, came back to him. At the time it was an innocent embrace, but he wasn't sure he could trust himself now. Rhett sensed hesitation and continued. "It's not a big deal, or anything. Just an idea."

"I'll think about it," Link said after a moment. It was true the two of them had shared a bed numerous times over the years, usually because some hotel management had screwed up their reservations and gave them a single bed instead of two. It had never been a big deal before, but things were different now. Sure, part of him wanted to accept the invitation, and not just out of convenience, but the rational part of his brain told him it would only complicate things further. More complicated he did not need; more complicated he could not handle.


	9. Secrets

That evening Link took an extra long shower. It was nice to have time to himself, certain that he wouldn't be interrupted. As he stood there, feeling the hot water run over his neck and back, he thought back to the episode they had recorded that day. He pictured Rhett reaching for him, grabbing him, touching him. He remembered the feel of his friend's palm pressed against him, so warm. His pulse ran faster, just as it had during the recording, feeling every detail of those fingers against his skin as if they were still there.

"Hmm," he moaned softly to himself, leaning his head back into the stream. The fingertips were rough, callus from years of playing the guitar, yet the palm had been soft, sensual. The contrasting sensations had blended together wonderfully on Link's skin. As he remembered the feeling of that simple touch, he felt a tingling in his groin. For a moment he was embarrassed; here he was, getting hard at the idea of his best friend touching him, while he was in said friend's house, in his friend's bathroom, while that very friend was right in the other room. After a moment, however, embarrassment turned into excitement.

It had been a long time since he had to take care of his needs in secret, with someone else in the building. Not since college had he needed to worry about someone hearing him, or walking in on him. He considered turning the water to cold to temper his lustful urges, but the thought of the source of these feelings being so close just turned him on further, and he didn't want it to stop.

He pictured Rhett, standing in the hallway, desperately trying to hide himself from a friend he could not see. His wet, toned body just feet from the other man. Link focused on the memory, as his hand traveled over his thigh to his growing arousal. He began to stroke himself, imagining the events had gone slightly differently than he remembered.

Instead of heading into the bedroom, Rhett let his hands fall away, revealing his impressive manhood. He opened his eyes, staring at Link under wet, fallen strands of dirty blond hair. He stepped closer to his friend, his hands wrapped under Link's shirt, removing it. Link ran his palms over the damp chest hair, and leaned closer to press his lips against the soft skin just below the throat.

As he visualized himself and Rhett in an embrace, similar to the one he had dreamt of, his breathing grew more rapid, his heart raced, and his hips rocked in tandem with his hand. The false memory intensified, and he grew closer and closer to release, completely lost in his fantasy. He became oblivious to the room in which he stood, thinking only of Rhett's hands and mouth on him, his own hands caressing his friend's body in ways he had never imagined before.

"Link," the vision of Rhett said, as Link pumped harder. The sound of his friend's deep voice intensified his excitement and he leaned against the shower wall, his knees growing weak.

"Rhett," he whispered. So close now...

"Link!" This time the voice was accompanied by a loud banging on the bathroom door. "Hurry up, man, I gotta go." Link's eyes snapped open, his right hand pulling away from his groin as he realized that it was the real Rhett talking to him, just a few feet away. "What's taking so long?"

"Uh, almost done!" Link called back. He quickly turned the water as cold as it would go, hoping to wash away both his libido and his sudden shame. ' _Stupid!_ ' he silently chastised himself. ' _Stupid, stupid!_ ' When his member had finally returned to its normal, flaccid state, he got out of the shower and dried and dressed himself quickly. His face was red with embarrassment and anger as he left the bathroom, brushing past his waiting friend, without a word.

"Hey!" Rhett started, but Link didn't stop. He couldn't look at him just then, and he didn't trust his mouth to say anything. As he sat on the couch downstairs, knowing Rhett would be joining him in a few minutes, he mentally beat himself up for being so careless, in his friend's house no less.

' _Come on, Link,_ ' he told himself. ' _This isn't the first time you've had a crush on someone. Just act normal._ ' As he thought back to the crushes he had in the past, he realized that this was how he always acted around them. Playing it cool around someone he lusted after was not something he was good at.

When Rhett came down the stairs, Link was aimlessly flipping through channels on the TV, trying to behave casually. He desperately hoped his friend wouldn't mention the slight altercation at the bathroom door, but it was not to be.

"What was that all about?" Rhett asked, standing by the couch. Link tried to play stupid.

"What was what?"

"You nearly ran me over upstairs, Link. What the hell, man? What, did I interrupt you jerking off or something?" Link felt his throat close up and didn't answer. After a moment, Rhett's eyebrows lifted in realization and he started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Link asked, slightly irritated.

"You were, weren't you?" Rhett sat down, still chuckling.

"No!" Link's denial was all too evident.

"Hey, it's no big deal, calm down."

"I wasn't." His voice faltered now, shame overwhelming him.

"Okay, okay, sorry." He turned to face the TV, as if he was dropping the subject, but then after a moment of silence he muttered: "It's not like I've never jerked off the in shower before." Link swallowed hard. The image of Rhett touching himself, with water running over his naked body, suddenly popped into his mind.

"Whatever," Link mumbled, trying to store the image away for later. Once again he found it hard to be normal. If this was what it was going to be like until he confessed, _If_ he confessed, he didn't know if he could handle it. Every second sitting next to Rhett, not able to say anything, was excruciating.

He fidgeted in his seat, trying to find something to watch on TV, for a few more minutes before his agitation got to be too much for his friend. It was painfully obvious he was uncomfortable, and Rhett finally said something to change the subject and hopefully ease the tension.

"My eyes are getting better," he said with a smile. "I still can't see shapes clearly, but instead of completely blackness, I see grey blotches." He opened his eyes and squinted at the other man.

"That's great." Link was thrilled for a change of conversation, and even happier than Rhett was getting better. "You should be back to normal in no time, now." 'And I won't have to stay here anymore,' he added to himself. As if reading his thoughts, his friend gave a sympathetic smile.

"It's been nice having you as a roommate, but I'm sure you'll be happy to be back at your place, and not have to put up with me anymore."

"Yeah, you're a good friend, Rhett, but I think it's better when we have separate personal lives. I mean, we work together nearly everyday. I'd hate to get sick of you, or have you get sick of me."

"Yeah..." Rhett closed his eyes again and went back to listening to the TV. Link felt torn. Part of him wanted to stay here, never leaving Rhett's side, drinking in his very presence, and the rest of him was desperate to go back to the way things were before his life was turned upside down.

~ ~ ~

Over the course of the next few days, Rhett's eyes quickly improved. Very soon Link found his friend needed him less and less. He was able to move about the house with more confidence, get to the car and back by himself. Soon he could see colors just as before, able to pick out his own outfits without help. By the week's end, the day Link both dreaded and welcomed had arrived. His friend no longer needed his help with any of his everyday tasks, and was even able to fix his hair up like it was supposed to be. As they recorded Good Mythical Morning on Friday, everything seemed completely back to normal.

Rhett made extra effort to help with work afterwards, feeling guilty for not having done much to help over the last two weeks. Link also worked hard, now able to work at the office, feeling he could finally really accomplish something without distraction. He buried himself in emails, feigning frustration to make sure no one, especially Rhett, interrupted him.

Soon it became too late to stay at the studio any longer. Though he wasn't ready, Link had to face what that meant: it was time to say goodbye to Rhett and go back to his own house, alone. Exactly seven days earlier, he had eagerly awaited time to himself, but now he couldn't stand the idea. Still, he knew it wouldn't make sense to stay at his friend's home anymore. There just wasn't any reason to. At least no reason he was willing to admit.

"See you Monday," Rhett said, getting out of the car at his house. The shorter man looked up at him from the driver's seat and smiled, but deep inside he felt a growing sense of emptiness. It was so strange now. Rhett had recovered from quite an ordeal and looked to the world as if nothing had changed. Though there was no physical sign that anything had even happened, Link felt that his friend's temporary blindness had opened his own eyes and he couldn't go back to the ignorance of before. A hidden world had been revealed and now it filled his every thought.

"Have a good weekend," he said. He had decided that despite the constant turmoil raging inside him he wouldn't make it weird. Not until he figured out what to do next about his feelings. As Rhett walked from the car to his front door, Link unabashedly examined his backside, watching how he moved in those tight jeans.

' _Easier said than done._ '


	10. Confessions

Stepping into his house, Link dropped his suitcase on the floor and looked at the empty room before him. He had grown so used to living over at Rhett’s place, his own home now seemed foreign. He thought about the previous fortnight, and what he would be doing if Rhett still needed his help. He would be making supper while they made small talk, or maybe setting up a Netflix program for them to enjoy together on the couch.

Link put his clothes from the past week into the dirty clothes hamper, glancing at his empty bed which had been neglected since last Friday night. Where before it would be warm and inviting after a hard day’s work, it now seemed cold and unappealing. He didn’t want to sleep in it. He wanted to be back at Rhett’s place on his couch or, even more, in Rhett’s bed.

He’d enjoyed being a roommate, but it wasn’t just that. He missed having his best friend by his side, filling every moment with contentment. Even when it had gotten to be too much, when he felt his heart was going to burst if he didn’t immediately confess his love, at least they were together.

After a short and uneventful shower that evening, Link lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Even though his bed was much more comfortable than Rhett’s lumpy couch, he couldn’t sleep. His mind raced with events over the past two weeks and he just couldn’t shut his mind off like usual. He began running scenario after scenario through his head, telling his best friend how he felt, wondering how that conversation would go, wondering how long until he couldn’t hold back the truth anymore.

As he lie there, imagining talking with Rhett, he remembered that wonderful Sunday morning he had woken up with his arm around the other man. It had felt so natural, not weird or awkward. Just thinking about it made him want to hold his friend all over again. He turned onto his side and grasped his spare pillow, pulling it close and pretending it was Rhett in his arms.

"Rhett," he whispered, closing his eyes and squeezing the pillow tightly. He knew right now his friend was lying in his own bed, probably asleep, completely unaware of the torture he was putting Link through.

Suddenly, an idea popped into the brunet’s head. He grabbed up his phone before he could reconsider and quickly typed out a short text to his crush.

-I can’t sleep-

He bit his lip, wondering if Rhett would even reply. Almost immediately, he regretting sending the text, knowing he was acting irrational in his momentary weakness, but he was pleasantly surprised when he got a response only a minute later.

-Me neither-

Link sat up, feeling his heart start to race in his chest. His thumbs hovered over the keypad, shaking with nervousness. All the words that had been running through his head for so long suddenly disappeared, leaving his mind completely blank. After a moment, Rhett sent another text.

-House feels empty-

Link smiled to himself. It probably didn’t mean anything, but it definitely felt like his friend was saying he missed him. Chucking at his foolish hopefulness, he typed back.

-Does your couch miss me?-

There was a long pause, so long he wondered if he had made it weird. He was about to type something about just kidding when he got another text.

-Yes-

His heart stopped. This could be his chance, but it could also go so wrong. Taking a deep breath, he typed slowly.

-Should I come over to keep it company?-

This time the pause was much shorter, but it still felt like an eternity,

-Yes please-

Link’s entire body tingled at the sight of those two little words. He scolded his mind, telling himself it was wishful thinking that this was what he was hoping for, but he couldn’t help but imagine. Before he could get into another battle with himself, he quickly texted back.

-See you soon-

Right after he hit send, he jumped out of bed. He rushed to get dressed, not really caring what he was putting on. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, but he refused to dwell on should-I's and what-if's.

~ ~ ~

A short drive later, Link was sitting in Rhett’s driveway, looking in his rear view mirror, checking out his hair. He felt a bit silly, being so anxious about seeing the man he had known for pretty much his entire life. Once he was satisfied, he took a few calming breaths and got out of the car.

He told himself to chill out, to be normal. He was just hanging out with his friend, nothing was going to happen. He knocked on the front door and tried not to fidget as he waited for it to open. When it finally did, Rhett was there, in pajama bottoms, house slippers, and no shirt. With great effort, Link avoided looking too long at his friend’s bare chest.

“Hey,” he said, trying desperately to sound nonchalant.

“Hey,” Rhett answered. “Come in.” He stepped back, making room for his ex-roommate to step past him into the house. As he walked past the half naked blond man, Link could smell the unmistakable masculine scent of him, and his brain did a mental flip. It was suddenly all too much; the proximity of their bodies, the sight of his friend, his voice, his smell…

Time seemed to slow down as he watched Rhett close the front door behind him. When he turned back, Link locked his blue eyes into those wonderful green eyes he had missed so much. They stared right back at him and then his body went on autopilot. All rational thought was driven from his mind, replaced by one impulse, one desire.

He leaned close to the object of his love and torture, reaching up behind his head and pulled him down slowly. He closed his eyes as their lips met, unwilling to see the look on the man’s face when he realized what was happening. After a moment of confused contact, Link felt something that made his heart leap like never before: Rhett was kissing him back.

This was no awkward kiss, like that one in Rhett’s bedroom, but a caressing, passionate embrace. Rhett put his arms around Link, pulling him closer. His lips slowly moved against Link’s without a trace of uncertainty. In that moment they both knew, this was right, this was meant to be. This, more than anywhere else, was where they belonged.

Link suddenly felt tears running down his face, and he pulled away despite his body’s protest. He looked up at the man before him. Rhett’s face was a mess of emotions, none of which were disgust or embarrassment. He brought a tender hand to Link's face, wiping away a tear as it ran down his check.

“Link,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Don’t cry.” Link blinked, trying to stem the flow of tears.

“Just tell me this is real. I couldn’t handle it if it wasn’t. Rhett… I… I love you.” He looked back up at Rhett and saw that he was also trying not to cry, but had the most beautiful smile on his face.

“Link,” he held Link's head in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. “I love you, too.” It was more than Link could take. He couldn’t have hidden his joy if he had tried. Unable to speak, he pressed forward and kissed Rhett hard, trying to convey his feelings with his lips. Grinning like idiots, both men held each other close, never wanting to let go.

As they kissed, their lips learning the shape of the other man’s mouth, Link felt his desire rise within and his movements grew more passionate, more urgent. Rhett responded with like motions while his hands moved to slide under Link's shirt, caressing his skin. Never pulling apart, the two men walked slowly towards the couch just across the room, kicking shoes and slippers everywhere.

When the back of Link’s legs touched the cushions, his knees buckled, and he sat down with Rhett close behind. Rhett pressed forward, laying them both down, and placed his knee between the other man’s thighs to hold himself up. He ran his hands up Link’s torso, pulling off his shirt before going back to kiss him again.

Link revealed in the touch of his friend’s bare chest and kissed spots in lines down his neck, eager to taste his skin. Concentrating on not falling over, Rhett busied his hands on Link's belt buckle, struggled for a moment to free it from the belt loops before finally removing it, than sitting up and tossing it aside in victory. It clattered on the hard, wooden floors and Link giggled at the sound.

Rhett gave a mischievous grin as he leaned back down to reach Link’s loosened jeans. With some help from the man beneath him, he lifted his butt to let his pants slide off; Rhett tossed them aside as well. His friend’s erection was all but bursting out of his underwear and he licked his lips at the sight.

“Hold on.” He sprung from the couch and ran into the bathroom. When he returned he was carrying a small bottle of lotion, which he set on the table next to them. Link looked at it quizzically. “I read it in a book,” Rhett explained. Link gave a small chuckle, wondering what books his friend had been reading. For a moment, he wondered if what Rhett was silently suggesting was a good idea. Rhett settled himself back down, straddling his partner, he gave him such a look of animalistic lust, all Link’s doubts about what they were doing were erased from his mind.

“Fuck, Rhett.” He sat up, pressing their chests together, and rubbed his hands up his companion’s arms. “I’ve wanted to do this for days.” Rhett ran his lips across Link’s earlobe and whispered:

“I’ve wanted to do this for years.” Link pulled away, shocked.

“Wait, what? How long…?”

“I don’t know for sure, but ever since we kissed on the show, through that stupid plastic sheet, you’ve been on my mind. At first it was just for laughs, but it got me thinking…” He gave an embarrassed smile, and Link grinned back.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Link ran his fingers absentmindedly through Rhett’s beard.

“Why didn’t YOU tell ME?”

“I was scared," Link admitted. "I didn’t want to ruin… us.”

“I wanted to tell you.” Rhett caressed Link’s cheek. “There were so many times I almost did, but I thought you’d hate me, so I didn’t say anything. That Sunday, after I broke up with Jessie, I came so close to blurting everything out…”

“I never knew, I never even guessed. You’re better at keeping secrets than me, it seems.”

“I’m glad you’re so bad at it. Now shut up.” Rhett stood up and maneuvered out of his pajamas before grabbing Link once more. “You’ve kept me waiting long enough.” With a rough motion, he slid the other man’s underwear off his body, leaving him completely naked. He paused to drink him in, his gaze seeming to pierce right into his lover’s soul.

Link brought his hands to the waistband of Rhett’s boxers and brought them down to his knees, releasing his member. Though he had only seen it briefly, by accident, he had imagined it in his hands many times since, and now, fully erect, it did not disappoint. Rhett gave a small wiggle, letting the last scrap of his clothing fall to the floor.

After a short pause, both men eyeing each other with hunger, Rhett climbed, once more, on top of his partner. He leaned against Link, pressing him into the couch. Soon enough their kisses became as passionate as before, their hands touching one another’s bodies just like that had each dreamt of so many times.

Rhett brought his mouth to Link’s neck and bit at the soft skin there. With one hand right beside the other man’s head, he reached over with his other hand to the waiting lotion bottle, expertly opened it and gently poured a generous amount over Link’s hardened groin. Link moaned loudly. He had needed release for far too long, his need made even more unbearable after his incomplete explorations in the shower a few days earlier.

For a moment, all he could do was grasp Rhett’s back, his hands pulling the man close to him, his body writhing with every motion of Rhett's hand. Then, with considerable effort, he regained enough composure to move his hand down past his own cock, wiping up some of the lotion, before moving to Rhett’s waiting manhood.

Grouping became stroking, and soon stroking became pumping. Rhett pressed his forehead against Link’s shoulder while Link's head lolled back, both men lost in sensation and ecstasy. At some point Link’s glasses fell off and skittered across the floor, but he didn’t care. Simultaneously they worked on the other’s members, groaning with pleasure. As they grew closer, Rhett pulled his hand away and simply ground his hips into Link, who copied his actions eagerly. Sweat glistened down their bodies as they feverishly worked towards climax.

With a guttural moan, Rhett came first. His hands dug into Link’s sides hard, but neither cared. The sound of Rhett’s deep voice in that moment, right next to his ear, along with sudden sticky warmth on his body, pushed Link right to the edge. He used the extra lubrication to grind even harder and faster until, moments after Rhett, he came as well, crying out his lover’s name as he did.

When they were finally, and fully spent, the two men lay side by side on the couch, and just held each other, neither willing to break the beautiful silence in the aftermath of what they had done. There was no regret, but they both knew nothing would ever be the same again.

Eventually the stickiness grew too uncomfortable and they got up to clean themselves off in the upstairs shower. Link found his discarded glasses, unscathed under the coffee table. They washed without a word, but exchanged occasional glances, always smiling as they did so.

Afterwards they lay on the bed, cuddling up under the warm covers, Link with his head on Rhett’s chest, and Rhett with his arm around Link. Rhett breathed in the scent of his friend, his love, for a long time before, at long last, he spoke.

“What now?” he asked.

“You want to go again?” Rhett laughed at that.

“I meant with us. I love you, Link. I’m hoping we haven’t ruined our friendship.”

“You’ve certainly ruined me.” Link sat up and looked in his friend’s eyes, once again noting how happy he was that he could see them after being without them for so long. “I love you too, Rhett. You’re my friend and blood brother, and that’s not going to change. Whatever this is, that will never change.”

“Promise?” Link placed a tender kiss on Rhett’s lips.

"Promise."

The End


End file.
